As climate change and the tuition fee debate become more and more a part of the public consciousness, the new UPass transit plan at U of T’s Mississauga campus could not have arrived at a better time. Students at UTM are on the cusp of approving a transit deal that seems almost too good to be true.
Chances are good that the UPass proposal, which would see all UTM students pay an additional $89 per year in exchange for unlimited Mississauga Transit use from September to April, will get the go-ahead this week after a three-day student referendum closes. For students who commute via transit, this is a no-brainer. The proposal effectively means that students would receive one year’s worth of transit use for the price of a monthly pass.
While most Mississauga students seem to support the fantastic savings this plan offers, there are some who drive to school regularly and oppose a fee increase that they claim will not benefit them. Yet the UPass would be valid all week, like a regular Metropass, so even students who don’t use transit to get to school can still save money by taking the bus at night or on weekends. Who knows-perhaps some of these drivers will even make the switch to transit, seeing as it will be such a cost-effective option.
Considering the environmental impact of taking more cars off the road and the fact that the majority of UTM students (45 per cent) use transit exclusively, while another 20 per cent use it occasionally, the benefits of this plan far outweigh the concerns of a few students who lack the perspective to see the many returns this fee increase will yield.
Students’ complaints that the UPass only applies to Mississauga Transit, and not the outer regions of Oakville or Brampton where many students begin their morning commute, again remind us of the necessity for a “GTA Transit Authority” to allow for the various transit services to be accessed as one. Students at the St. George and Scarborough campuses who must commute from York Region and then pay again to use the TTC have made a similar point in discussions about a UPass for those two campuses. A fare structure allowing free passage between all transit systems in the GTA would not only help students, but everyone who must cross jurisdictions while traveling.
Even allowing for slight increases every year to match Mississauga Transit fare hikes, paying less than $100 for eight months of unlimited transit use is a situation that students at St. George and Scarborough will envy. The UPass system has been in use at other Ontario schools for years, with great success, and it only makes sense that campuses with so many commuters should be able to enjoy a similar arrangement with the TTC.
SAC has pledged to work towards securing a UPass that would service St. George and UTSC, and Governing Council is receptive to such a plan. Here’s hoping the TTC will take the guaranteed income from thousands of passes in exchange for offering an affordable yearly pass that will greatly ease students’ transportation budgets.
Toronto’s main transit organization has long enough endured a reputation for bickering and inaction when it comes to introducing effective reforms. This positive sign out of Mississauga is proof that the UPass can work for all U of T students, and by striking a similar deal the TTC has a chance to help the environment and score points with some of its most consistent clients.
Councilor Adam Giambrone-the new TTC Commissioner, himself not too far removed from his school days-should take care not to let petty wrangling and a lack of perspective get in the way of such a worthy initiative.
